OT: Virtual PC vs "Real" PC

[Michael Young]

Sivakatirswami wrote:

> Thanks for everyone's input.  As always, many ways to describe an
> elephant..
>
> Our Apple repair-lady was here today. She said "Forget VPC, you will
> not only waste time but destabilize your whole system if you plan to do
> anything else on that machine."
>
> But, I would be running VPC on OSX G4 dual-processor desktop model, (in
> another room) to upgraded to a G5 soon... so I think the speed will be
> acceptable.
>
> But productivity can be an issue... fiddling with VPC, vs having a
> little DEL sitting on the corner of my own desk, plugged into the
> network would mean instant review. If  you are trying to wrap something
> up in 2 hours... it could mean a lot.
>
> I'll see for now if I can live with VPC and also see if budgets will
> allow for a PC box...
>
> Thanks
> Sivakatirswami
>

Remember VPC for Mac will not run on G5 yet and this VPC for Mac will  
be the first new version put out under the Microsoft label, rather than  
Connectix. So who knows if Microsoft will do a good job on this  
version.

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/virtualpc/using.aspx? 
pid=usingvirtualpc
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/virtualpc/virtualpc.aspx? 
pid=comingsoon

The online tech literature I have read says the VPC 7 for Mac delay is  
because Microsoft wanted to get XP SP2 out the door. If you have been  
following that story you know hot fixes for SP2 are already coming out.  
I don't see how that can help get VPC 7 for Mac out any sooner. Sigh.

VPC on a modern Mac is slower than all but an ancient PC. Duh. :)  
However my wife used VPC 3, 5 and then 6 on a Power Mac (Sawtooth  
version) 400 MHz machine with 1 GB RAM for a couple of years to run  
Windows 95, 98 and then 2000 primarily so that she could run several  
different versions of Windows only Microsoft Money, which is a standard  
consumer application. Performance was acceptable. She never had a  
glitch from VPC. Things worked like they would on a real PC. She and I  
were satisfied.

HTH,

Michael Y